Related content

"They would have the same powers as a normal special, it's just that they would be looking after an area that they know well. They will know the community and the community will know them.

"In more rural communities, particularly, there has been great interest from people."

Staffordshire has around 480 special constables, and a review of their role is currently underway. They have the full range of police powers, including making arrests, and are expected to work a minimum of 16 hours per month. As volunteers they do not get paid but receive an allowance for duties performed and travelling expenses. At this stage it is not clear how much the proposal will cost.

Mr Ellis said: "We are doing a major review of existing special constables to see how they can be better trained and better equipped, which is expected to be complete in around six weeks.

"Immediately after that we will start work to look at the best way to roll out the community specials."

Mr Ellis dismissed claims increasing the number of special constables was 'policing on the cheap'.

He said: "That is incredibly rude to the special constables who do an amazing job.

"They are not intended to be a replacement for regular officers and do not see themselves as that, but bring a different type of dynamic and enthusiasm. I think it will be great as far as public confidence is concerned."

Following his election in November, Mr Ellis ended the force's recruitment freeze and the forced retirement of officers with 30 years' service, slowing down the fall in the number of officers.

But the overall number is still expected to drop from 1,814 to 1,786 next year, due to officers leaving and retiring.

Former Staffordshire Police inspector Nigel Gunn, who retired in 2011 and previously trained special constables, had concerns about the increasing use of volunteers.

He said: "Many PCCs have a strategy of increasing specials. That's clearly because they are facing the pinch of budget cuts and think specials are a cheap way to plug the gap left by the officers they are losing.

"Lots of specials do a fantastic job and are dedicated people, but they are only contracted to do 16 hours a week, and they have their own jobs. They cannot be a replacement for regular officers.

"As for specials working in the area where they live, it would be a good thing to have local knowledge.

"But not everyone is going to be supportive of what they are doing, and they might come into contact with people who know them and where they live.

"It might sound like a fantastic idea but it might cause problems for the specials."

this is a ridiculous idea, we are no longer living in the 70s where there was respect for police, you ask any serving police officer these days if they tell people where they live or what they do for a living and the answer would be no, there are to many people wanting to do them or there property harm these days, it specials are allowed to police where they live they will themselves become victims!!. either property or there vehicles will get vandalised.